Substance abuse and drug overdose deaths are “serious” problems among U.S. service members, the Pentagon acknowledged this week.
The senators pointed to a “persistent and troubling pattern” at Fort Bragg, as well as subsequent reports of overdoses at Fort Bliss in Texas, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York.
“In light of this disturbing trend, we write seeking a full understanding of the pattern of overdoses among active-duty service members, and urge you to implement a plan that prevents future overdoses,” Markey wrote to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
The overdoses involved “opioids and, more specifically, fentanyl, consumed both intentionally and unintentionally,” the letter continued.
The majority of the deaths, 279, were accidental. Forty-two deaths were ruled as suicide, and 11 were undetermined.
The Department of Defense (DoD) overdose death rate was five per 100,000 in 2020, which the letter stated was below the national rate of 28.3 per 100,000 reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More than half of the deaths, 174, involved fentanyl, according to the data.
A Deadly Crisis
Fentanyl is an opioid 50–100 times stronger than morphine.The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco (CJNG) Cartel, both in Mexico, are responsible for most of the fentanyl pouring across the border into the United States, Milgram explained.
“Between August of 2021 and August of 2022, 107,735 American lives were lost to drug poisoning,” Milgram said.
Cartels buy the precursor chemicals for the drug from China. Then they mass produce fentanyl powder that is often pressed into fake pills that look like prescription drugs such as Percocet, Oxycodone, Xanax, and others.
The fake pills contain one drug: fentanyl.
“Fentanyl is so addictive that the cartel is using it to drive addiction,” she continued.
Other Key Takeaways
The Army had the highest rate of fatal overdoses, with 171 deaths during the five-year period, according to the Pentagon.Fort Bragg lost 31 soldiers, the highest at any installation, according to the 12-page report.
Overdose deaths in the Air Force, Marines, and Navy totaled 45, 36, and 80, respectively, during the same period.
“The number of OD deaths involving fentanyl has more than doubled over the past five years, reaching a high of 54 cases in 2021,” the Pentagon wrote.
Nearly 10 percent of those who died from overdoses had previously failed drug tests.
North Carolina had 36 per 100,000 active-duty service member deaths, the highest among the states. Washington state was second highest with 29.5 per 100,000, followed by Texas with 28.6.
“The department continues to evaluate, refine, and improve strategies for overdose prevention to ensure we are making every effort to prevent these tragic deaths,” Cisneros wrote to the senators.
“Current efforts are focused on integrating all drug-related data, including fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses, to ensure timely data monitoring and improve coordination, messaging, treatment intervention, and promote readiness at the DoD, installation, and command levels.”